Home
by Amanda Hawthorn
Summary: Reaching for Mulder's hand she threaded her fingers through his and held on tight… she loved this man more than anyone else in her life and it was time that her brother accepted it. Spoilers for 10x04
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Mulder and Scully do not belong to me unfortunately.**

 **A/N: I have been away from writing for a while so I'm a little rusty. For all of the people asking for the next instalment for my Burn Notice story, thank you, and yes I am hoping to get back to it and write some more very soon.**

 **This is for my wonderful friends Purdy's Pal and JediSkysinger who asked me to post here.**

 **Spoilers for 10x04**

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Fox Mulder sat quietly beside his partner, his hand closed over hers. He knew nothing he could say would ease the pain of the passing of her mother… but he hoped by just being here that he could ease a little of it.

It was no secret that they had ceased to be lovers some time ago, but the deep love that had kept them tethered together ran just as deeply today as it had so many years ago. She was still the only one he would ever trust… he would still go to the ends of the earth for her... nothing about his love for her had changed and he doubted that it ever would.

Glancing across at the woman beside him he squeezed her fingers in reassurance when she seemed to tremble a little more as time wore on. When she didn't return his gaze he lifted their joined hands to his lips and placed a soft kiss across her knuckles.

"Hey," he whispered gently as he tried to gain her attention. "Dana..."

Taking a breath, Scully slowly turned to face him, her eyes wet with tears. She opened her mouth to speak but every time she tried, the lump in her throat constricted her voice. So instead she clutched his hand tighter, knowing that she could convey to him without words that she needed to be away from here.

"Tell me what to do," he told her. "Tell me what I can do."

His words caused her heart to ache and she closed her eyes briefly before opening them again to look up at him. Scully swallowed hard against the constant ball of emotion that swelled in her throat. She knew there were duties still to be done. There was still the wake to get through and the family to see… but all she wanted to do now was stay as close to the man beside her as possible. She needed his strength… his warmth and his arms around her.

"I..." she started but her voice failed her. Tears gathered in her eyes only to tumble down over her already tear stained cheeks.

Without speaking, Mulder untangled their fingers and slipped his arm around her shoulders to hold her against him. He could feel her trembling as she fought for control, so he tightened his hold on her as he tried to comfort her with his touch.

"It's okay..." he soothed, his lips buried in the soft strands of her hair. "I'm here."

"Don't let me go..." she pleaded, her voice breaking through her sobs. "Don't let go..."

"Never...I won't..." he promised with conviction, knowing that he meant every single word.

Clamping his eyes closed against his own teetering emotions, Mulder held her as she sobbed against him, much like she had done for him when his mother had died. She had been his rock back then. She had been his friend, his touchstone and so much more than that… Opening his eyes he blinked back his own tears and planted soft kisses into her hair while whispering how much he loved her over and over again.

When her sobs slowly began to subside he loosened his hold so that she could pull away, but she didn't move. Instead she shifted positions so that she could lay her head in between his neck and shoulder, taking comfort in his warmth. She knew that just a short distance away from them her eldest brother was watching. No doubt using his grief as an excuse to channel his anger at Mulder, but she wouldn't give him the chance...not any more. Reaching for Mulder's hand she threaded her fingers through his and held on tight… she loved this man more than anyone else in her life and it was time that her brother accepted it.

Mulder could feel the change in her and inclined his head to glance down. Her face was flushed and her eyes were red through tears but she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever known.

A few seats away from them Mulder could feel eyes upon him and he didn't need to turn to see just exactly who was watching them so intently. He'd known that by coming here he would open himself up to the disrespect of Scully's brother but this wasn't about him.

Mulder didn't know, or care, whether the looks being cast their way were ones of contempt or not, but he knew that whatever the older Scully had to say could wait until they were out of earshot of the polished mahogany casket that was slowly disappearing behind a blue velvet curtain.

Silence echoed around the small chapel until the rustling of clothing and hushed whispers filled the room. Mulder felt the warmth of Scully's hand in his and half expected her to pull away but even when the small crowd began to dissipate she still didn't let go of his hand.

Inclining his head, Mulder glanced down at the woman beside him, He wasn't surprised to see her gaze fixed on the curtain that had now closed behind the casket that contained her precious mother. He doubted that she even realised that they were the only two people left inside the now empty chapel… but he knew she wasn't ready to leave just yet. So he did the only thing he could do to ease her through her grief… he held her. He didn't speak… he didn't urge her to leave… he just held her.

ooo

It was just over an hour later when Mulder and Scully finally arrived at Margaret Scully's residence. Parking the car, Mulder turned off the engine and turned to face her. Her silence worried him, but at the same time he knew exactly what she was going through. She had lost too many members of her family already. All he really wanted to do was comfort her, but he knew it would take so much more than his presence to help her. So instead he settled into the silence, keeping a close eye on her flushed face.

"Are you ready to go in?" he asked a few moments later, not really sure he was going to get a reply, She hadn't spoken a word since he'd parked the car, but when she turned in her seat and reached across to take his hand, he was lost.

"I can't go in there," she whispered, her voice so soft that he had to strain to hear her. "I… I can't…"

"Hey," Mulder soothed as he reached over to encase her hand in between both of his. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to, okay…"

The softness of his voice and the reassurance of his words brought a fresh onslaught of tears to her eyes and for the life of her she couldn't remember why she had left him behind. This man was her world, he had been for so many years now… she had left him and tried to move on with her life but she just couldn't do it. He was so ingrained within her that she couldn't have ever got through any of this without him.

"Mulder…" she started, her voice thick with tears. "Can I come home?"

Before Mulder could answer, Bill Scully appeared at the window, tapping on the glass impatiently with a grim expression littering his face. His stark eyes cut into the moment, ruining whatever was brewing between them.

"Everyone's waiting for you," he groused, his obvious grief making his black mood even darker. "They're asking where you are."

"We'll... be in… I just need…"

Mulder could see his partner struggling and it broke his heart to see her so upset. Squeezing her hand in reassurance he slowly untangled their fingers before releasing her hand.

"Wait there Scully," he told her gently. "Take all the time you need… I'll be right back."

"Mul-"

"Hey," he soothed, glancing back at her to offer her a reassuring smile. "It'll be okay… maybe he's mellowed!"

"Mulder…"

He could still hear his partner's protests even as he opened the car door. He had no idea how the eldest Scully would greet him, but by the look on his face he didn't expect any hearts and flowers coming his way.

"Bill," he greeted cautiously. "Scul-"

"You've got some nerve-" Bill spat, his caustic voice slicing through whatever Mulder was trying to say. "After everything you've done. You've got a damn nerve showing up here!"

"What?" Mulder snapped angrily as he cut through Bill's rant. "To pay my respects to possibly one of the most wonderful women I've ever known?"

"I-"

"No," Mulder groused. "I am here for your mother… because she treated me like someone, not just because I was your sister's partner, but someone that mattered… And when Scully was abducted… she stayed by my side… she kept me the link between your sister and me alive… she was..."

He was unprepared for the swell of sorrow that washed over him and he suddenly couldn't speak for fear of his voice breaking. He could see the older man staring at him with something akin to sympathy but he was sure it was just his own grief that bonded them in that moment.

"Yeah," Bill nodded, his icy glare seeming to melt away. "She was like that."

The click of Scully's door brought both of them out of their revere and whatever this moment was between the two men, it evaporated just as quickly as it had formed.

"Dana," Bill greeted, his eyes taking in the dark circles beneath her eyes.

"Save it Bill…" she told him on a sigh, her eyes brimming with unshed tears as she moved around him and surged towards the man she loved.

Mulder swallowed his own simmering sorrow and caught her hands in his own as he gazed down into her grief filled eyes. Stepping a little closer he ignored the older man who was watching their every movement and lifted one of his hands to caress her tear stained cheek.

"Whatever you want to do, I'll be here," he promised. "If you want to go in to see your family I'll come with you. If you want to leave then that's okay too."

Scully wanted nothing more than to take his hand and flee, but she knew she had to stay. She owed it to her mother to do this and with Mulder by her side she knew she could. Swallowing hard, she lifted her hand to cover his on her cheek and turned slightly to place a kiss into the centre of his palm.

"You'll stay?"

"Always," he promised, knowing that he would give her everything if she asked him to.

"Okay," she whispered with a sad smile as she stepped away from him, letting his fingers fall from her face so that she could take his hand firmly in her own. "Let's do this…"

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Thank you to everyone for the reviews, favourite story adds and follows. I appreciate every one of them. I wish I had time to reply to all of you but if I have missed anyone then please accept my sincere thanks for all of your comments.**

 **This is for my daughter who was only 2 when X Files first aired. Since the reboot she's started watching from the pilot. Yesterday I had a text from her saying..."Mum I'm totally shipping Mulder and Scully!"**

 **I am so proud!**

2

Scully grasped Mulder's hand tighter as they approached the main door to the house and the fellow mourners awaiting their arrival. She had no idea what kind of welcome, if any, that she would receive from some members of the small group. After all, she had caused her mother no amount of grief and heartache without even meaning to. She didn't know how much the extended Scully family knew about her life with Mulder or the fact that she had given their precious child away. She hadn't exactly been close to her family after that.

Every step caused another wedge of guilt to crash into her heart. Had her mother ever forgiven her for the grief she had caused to her and the family? Had she understood the reasons why they had to give William up? Did her mother die hating her for it? She hadn't made any secret of the fact that she was very disappointed with their decision and Dana knew that her mother had mourned his loss just as much as they did.

Her legs felt like lead and she could feel Mulder's concerned gaze upon her even without looking up at him. She felt his comforting presence in every fibre of her being, and that alone gave her the courage that she needed to keep moving one foot in front of the other. She had always been the strong one, or so Margaret Scully had proclaimed on more than one occasion… Dana just hoped that she had been right.

Swallowing the lump that seemed to be permanently in her throat she took a deep breath and felt Mulder squeeze her hand in reassurance. Scully lifted her head and caught his gaze and found the strength he was giving her to get through this awful day. She was forever thankful for the day he came into her life, despite all the heartache along the way. He was her rock and the other half of her heart… that would never change.

"Are you ready?" he asked her, his voice breaking through her reverie. "Because if you're not…"

"I'll never be ready," she whispered hoarsely. "But, I'm fine."

"Okay..."

His graveled voice caught her heart… how could so much love be projected in just one word?

In any other instance she would have melted into his embrace, but not right now… not yet… She held his eyes for a few moments longer, hoping that he could feel the love she poured into her gaze, before the click of a door opening shattered the moment as she moved to follow her brother when he pushed open the front door, never once letting go of her partner's hand.

000

Once inside, Scully was struck by a flurry of memories that seemed to hit her all at the same time and for a moment she was engulfed in grief once again. Her father had lived in this house… so had her sister… and her mother… every single one of them had left their own echo within these walls… but as she looked around the familiar room she couldn't shake the emptiness that swam around her senses. She felt so… lost.

Beside her Mulder could feel her tighten her hold on his hand and he found himself tugging her closer towards his side, shielding her from her family and this devastating situation. She had been there for him when he was left alone and desolate after his mother died. She had helped him pack up the family home and never once left his side when he crumbled beneath the weight of his grief… just how he wouldn't leave her.

Acting on instinct, he unclasped their hands to glide his arm around her back and over her shoulder, providing a sort of united front for anyone who decided to bombard her with questions. He wasn't about to let anyone hurt her, even her family. He would fight to keep her safe...

"Dana," a woman's voice called and they both turned to see a petite blonde rushing in their direction.

Tara Scully, Bill's wife, came towards them in one swift movement and tore her sister in law away from Mulder's grasp. Her arms were around Scully in seconds, engulfing her in an emotional hug, leaving both FBI agents in a state of surprise.

"I'm so sorry," Tara blurted against Scully's shoulder, already crumbling in tears. "I'm so sorry."

Scully's flaccid arms slowly started to move and embrace her in a brief tight hug before she slowly pulled herself away to take hold of Tara's hands.

"I...," Scully's voice cracked a little as she spoke,. "She's with dad and Missy now… I know she is… I… I have to believe that…"

Tara wiped at her eyes and smiled through her tears. Nodding fiercely she squeezed Scully's hands tight before she turned to look at the man standing protectively just behind her sister in law.

"Mr Mulder," she gasped out, instantly releasing Dana to move towards him to take one of his hands in between hers. "It's really good to see you again… I'm sorry I didn't get to speak to you at the funeral but... I just wanted to thank you for being here… for taking care of Dana like you do."

Her words caused Scully to turn around and regard the other woman with a fondness that she hadn't felt in a very long time. Catching Mulder's gaze she smiled her first real smile since this nightmare had begun and felt her worries slowly begin to dissipate a little.

"Always," Mulder told her honestly, as he dropped his eyes to focus on the woman standing before him. "It's nice to see you again too."

Tara smiled brightly and released his hand before she stepped back to gesture towards Dana again.

"Would you mind if I steal Dana for a little while?"

Glancing over to his partner he watched for any kind of sign that she was uncomfortable with this but when she nodded that she would be fine without him for a little while, he turned back to Tara and smiled.

"Sure."

Scully kept her gaze focused on Mulder even as Tara was ushering her away from his side, and drawing her into family conversations regarding old memories to which he couldn't be a part of. He continue to watch her worriedly as she glanced back towards him briefly to offer him a reassuring smile that for now at least, she really was okay.

He continued to watch her for a few more moments before he started to feel a little like an intruder, but when someone called his name he tore his gaze away from his partner to look into the face of a man with Scully's eyes.

"I'm Charlie," the man nodded in greeting as he shoved a glass of brandy towards him. "From one outsider to another!"

"Sorry," Mulder eyed the amber liquid before shaking his head apologetically. "I promised Dana I'd drive us home tonight… but thank you anyway."

Charlie grinned and shrugged nonchalantly and downed first his brandy in one gulp, followed by the glass he'd brought for Mulder.

"She's got you whipped," he chuckled mirthlessly as he gazed down into the now empty glasses. "Never thought she had it in her!"

"She doesn't have me-"

"Whatever," Charlie waved his hands in Mulder's direction, a glass held between both sets of fingers. "So, you're like... looking out for her right?"

"You could say that," Mulder told him as he lifted his eyes to check that the only Scully he was really interested in was still within his sight.

"She'll be okay," Charlie told him dully as he followed his gaze. "She's with Aunt Lucy. She's my mom's sister."

Mulder could hear the regret in the other man's voice, a feeling he was all too familiar with since his own mother's passing. He too had chosen to remove himself from the remaining member of his family for reasons that had become confused and insignificant as time wore on.

"I'm sorry about your mother."

Charlie nodded solemnly and Mulder could see that he was just as uncomfortable to be here as he was. He wasn't really sure why the Scully family had shattered to leave them just as broken as his own, but whatever it was he didn't intend to pry. He found his eyes seeking out the woman he loved once more but instead he found the cool, brooding eyes of Bill Scully… but for once that anger was not directed at him.

"Bill being an asshole to ya huh," Charlie nodded knowingly. "Me too... He's got it down to a fine art..."

Mulder didn't really know what to say to that. He thought frantically to find an excuse to move away but before he could speak the man beside him nodded towards his brother and spoke again.

"After our father died I decided I liked this stuff too much," he mused as he held one of the empty tumblers up to look through the frosted glass. "Bill decided it was his _duty_ to be the one to pull me back in line and mom never stopped him… so I packed up my stuff and left."

"I'm sorry," Mulder offered again, not really knowing if there was anything else he could say to the youngest Scully who seemed to be staring at the ingrained patterns of the object in his hand.

"When Missy died... I came home for her funeral…" Charlie lifted his eyes from the glass and towards his older brother. "...and got this damn lecture of how I was a disappointment to the family name, so I said goodbye to this place and my family for good."

"I-"

"Do you love my sister Mr Mulder?" Charlie asked him suddenly, catching Mulder off guard for a moment. "To hear my brother speak of you you're like satan himself."

"Yeah… well your brother has his own reasons to hate me," Mulder sighed regretfully. "But, in answer to your question… yes… I love your sister."

Charlie nodded slightly, considering his words carefully before he regarded Mulder for a moment."More than your job? Cuz according to Bill you live the damn thing and you drag our sister down with ya… his words, not mine… just saying."

"I love her more _than_ anything…" Mulder told him with as much conviction as he could muster. "She is… she's… everything..."

Charlie watched him closely, scrutinizing his every move before he obviously saw something that he recognized.

"Then take her and get her the hell away from here," Charlie told him as he shot his older brother an angry glare. "Some of the people here are damn toxic."

Mulder turned to stare at Charlie Scully with a mixture of shock and surprise but before he could respond, Charlie turned and walked away from him to leave him standing alone once more.

Sighing heavily, Mulder looked for Scully but she was no longer in his line of sight. Feeling a little like a pariah, he looked around the room for some kind of distraction. When his eyes caught sight of something interesting, he turned to walk towards a large fireplace that held an array of family photographs displayed on and around it. He found his gaze drifting over the various poses of a family that had obviously once had some happier occasions, each of which was marked by smiling faces looking back at him.

A wave of sadness suddenly caught him unawares forcing him to realise that this family's loss had affected him more than he cared to admit. Yes he was here for Scully, to support and comfort her… but he also had a lot of affection for the incredible lady that they had come together to mourn. She had shown him care when he was lost… compassion when he didn't deserve it and love when he had crumbled to his knees beside Scully's hospital bed. She had been the light in the darkness when he'd lost his way… and he had loved her for all of those reasons.

As he gazed across the multiple images of childhood memories, he found himself wishing that he'd had more than just one tiny photograph of his son. He'd held that photo at least once a day, all the while knowing that William would forever be his one and only child. He'd been a miracle for both him and Scully and even though he had the ability father another child, without Scully as its mother… the possibility wasn't worth a thing...

There was always this inner monologue that told him over and over that he needed to let go but he couldn't… he'd had no idea until he'd set his eyes on his baby son, that it was possible to feel so much love towards another person. His child… _his_ flesh and blood…

Sudden tears stung his eyes and he frantically tried to blink them away. He couldn't give way to his own loss even though it threatened to swallow him whole on a daily basis. Margaret Scully's passing had dredged up more than grief for both himself and Dana. They were forced to confront every single chaotic emotion that attributed to William, but where Dana could show her feelings openly to him, he had tried to be strong for her… one of them had to be and he had assigned himself to the task... No… he grieved his own loss in private... Scully didn't need to see him crumble, not when she felt that same pain and more every single day.

He needed a distraction but when his eyes settled on a small framed photograph of a tiny baby, his heart suddenly caught inside his chest. Reaching across he picked up the wooden frame and held it in his hands with trembling fingers as he gazed down into the grainy image. If this photograph wasn't so old he could almost swear it was William smiling up at him.

Images bombarded his senses faster than he could stop them… a mixture of love, grief and loss filled his mind to transport him into memories that he had tried to bury for so long…

" _Hey…" he cooed as he reached down to carefully lift his son out of his crib. "Enough of that… mommy's sleeping."_

 _William's eyes opened wide to look up at him and he could feel himself falling in deeper. He'd heard parents say how their lives had changed when they held their children in their arms, but he'd never really understood until now. This tiny little person had turned his world on its head and he couldn't have been happier._

" _So, what's got you up this time hmm?" He asked hummingly as he rocked the baby from side to side. "Now I know you can't be hungry already."_

 _William smacked his lips together and continued to look up at him with eyes that were the same as his own and he knew he would quite happily give up everything right in this moment if it meant he could stay like this forever…_

" _So, if you're not hungry then it's gotta be time for a diaper change?"_

 _Lifting the baby higher he placed a soft kiss onto his smooth brow and held him close for a few precious seconds before placing him down onto the changing mat and began to unfasten the buttons on his onesie._

" _Whew…" Mulder crinkled his nose and grinned down at his tiny son as he cautiously unfastened the diaper like it was some kind of chemical weapon. "How can so much come out of something so small?"_

 _William gurgled and kicked his legs in the air when Mulder removed and discarded the offending diaper before cleaning him up and putting a new one on him._

" _I know Buddy," Mulder chuckled when he started to rebutton the tiny onesie. "I hear ya… but we can't have you peeing up the walls! We'll both be in trouble if we let you do that. I'd be sleeping on the couch for the next year!"_

 _Picking up the infant once more, Mulder adjusted his hold to nestle Willian against his shoulder and gently patted his back as he rocked him. This was how he wanted to spend the rest of his life… being a father to his son..._

"That's Dana," a woman's voice spoke beside him and he lifted his eyes to find himself facing an older version of the woman he had come to mourn. "She was barely three months old there."

"She was a good looking baby," he told her with a tight smile as he moved to replace the frame back in the spot where he'd found it.

"She was beautiful," she nodded and patted his arms affectionately. "I'm Lucy, Dana's aunt.."

Mulder couldn't help but smile when he looked at her. She looked so much like Scully's mother and she had the same kind eyes. Holding his hand out to her he nodded in greeting.

"I'm-"

"Mulder, _not_ Fox," she told him with a wide smile as she took his offered hand to clasp it in between both of hers. "I've heard a lot about you over the years. You're Dana's young man."

"Well not so young anymore," he chuckled, already feeling his mood lighten a little. "It's very nice to meet you… I just wish it was in happier circumstances though."

"Yes," Lucy agreed sadly. "As do I…"

"Mrs Scully was…" Mulder's voice died away when Lucy stepped closer to pat his cheek affectionately

"Maggie loved you, you know," her voice softened affectionately as she continued to hold his gaze. "Despite what Bill or anyone else in this family says… she _always_ thought of you as one of hers."

Mulder was finding it increasingly difficult to keep a reign on his fraying emotions. He had always held a certain affection for Scully's mother ever since their first meeting… but to think she had regarded him in the same respect sent a sheen of tears to gather in his eyes.

"I… she was a special lady."

"Yes, she was," Lucy swiped a shaky hand across her face before she regained her composure and gestured to the photograph of Dana that he had been so interested in before she'd approached him. "Maggie told me how alike Dana and William were. She often said she could see a lot of her in him… and you… he had your eyes."

Mulder felt his face flush a little when memories he'd tried to quash refused to be silenced. He had no idea how much Dana's aunt knew of William but just talking about him… hurt…

"He was… perfect," he croaked. "And beautiful… like his mother."

Lucy smiled kindly, the wrinkles beside her eyes crinkling in exactly the same way as Scully's mother. "She told me what happened to yours and Dana's little boy… I'm really sorry… giving up a child you love is the worst pain any parent can go through… believe me, I know first hand how much it hurts."

"You?" Mulder asked in a mixture of sadness and surprise. "I'm sorry."

"Well I was only eighteen, no husband... and I had to choose between my love for my son or giving him a better life…"

"And did he?" Mulder asked hopefully. "Have a better life?"

Lucy regarded him sadly and smiled despite her obvious loss. "Yes, he did… and so will your son… you have to believe in your heart that he is living a happy and full life and that one day, he'll come and find you."

Mulder nodded slightly, he knew she was right, but knowing that their son was out there living a life without them did nothing to ease the ache of loss… he just hoped that William was happy, that he was loved… and he was safe.

"Now," Lucy cleared her throat and stepped closer towards him. "How about you and me go and find something to eat?"

Before he could reply she slid her hand around his arm and guided him away from the Scully family gallery. He was more than a little apprehensive to follow her but when he caught sight of a familiar red head he felt himself relax and allowed her to lead him towards the large spread of sandwiches laid out neatly on the dining room table.

Scully caught his eye and immediately excused herself from the conversation with her cousin to make her way towards him. She wanted to be by his side now more than ever, especially after learning from various family members that her mother had made changes to her will that no one but a select few had known about.

As she approached she took his offered hand in hers and moved closer to melt into his side. She could almost hear him exhale in relief and she didn't think there was any way she could possibly love him even more than she did right now.

"Your young man has been keeping me company," Lucy told her with a smile as she slowly released his arm before gesturing the table of food. "I'll leave you two to chat… I'm going to take some sandwiches to your brother."

When Lucy was out of earshot, Mulder smiled down at the woman beside him, forever grateful to have her by his side.

"Are you doing okay?"

"I think I am," she told him honestly as she wrapped an arm around his waist. "I have something to tell you…"

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you so much for all of your reviews, favourite story adds and follows. I am incredibly humbled. To answer a couple of PM's, Mulder and Scully will always be my first love. X Files was my rock through an incredibly difficult time in my life and even though I used to write stories, I only wrote them for myself and no one else. I've lost all of those scraps of paper over the years but I am so pleased to be able to share my ramblings now with fellow MSR shippers**

 **Huge thanks to my wonderful friends Purdy's Pal, Jedi Skysinger and DaisyDay for their total support with my writing for the X Files fandom**

3

Mulder regarded his partner curiously and held her into his side. She seemed lighter somehow… as if some part of her sadness had lifted from her a little. He couldn't quite figure out what it was but the darkness seemed to have lifted from around her eyes.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice no more than a whisper. "What-"

Dana smiled up at him with love filled eyes. Talking to her family had filled in a few mysteries that her mother had kept from her… explanations to why she had changed her will and her final wishes… and even though she had been kept in the dark, she was much more at peace with knowing the answers… and it made saying goodbye that little bit easier.

"When everyone has gone," she promised, her soft voice breaking through his words. "Can we talk about it then?"

He found himself nodding without even thinking. He trusted her more than anyone else in his life and he knew he would give her anything she asked of him. Holding onto her a little more tightly he felt her melt into his side, just like she always had. Smiling down at her adoringly he lowered his head to press a soft kiss into her hair, his lips lingering over her soft strands.

"Anything you want," he whispered into her hair as he kept her closely by his side, all the while ignoring the glances from certain members of Scully's family… none of his apprehensions mattered anymore. He would be here for however long she needed him to be… that was all that was important now.

"Dana, Fox…"

Both of them broke out of their emotion-filled haze, greeting Scully's favourite aunt who had returned to them with a plateful of food, holding it out to them.

"We're fine," Scully insisted, unable to stop the warm smile from spreading across her lips. "Honestly, we've eaten enough."

"Maybe you have dear but look at poor Fox," Lucy chuckled as she held the plate towards him. "I haven't seen him eat anything since you both got here."

"I…" Mulder was ready to decline, an excuse already on his lips when the old woman held her finger up to shush him.

"Now, I know you haven't eaten."

Mulder's mouth opened to object but when Dana's aunt reached down to take his hand he couldn't seem to find his voice. Scully could feel his discomfort and in any other circumstances she might have found it somewhat endearing, but not today… not now. Reaching out a hand she laid her palm flat against Mulder's jacket over his chest and smiled warmly at her favourite aunt.

"Maybe you could save it for a little later," she offered kindly, catching her aunt's eyes as she spoke. "We'll be heading home soon anyway."

Lucy released Mulder's hand and looked at her niece sadly. "You're not staying here tonight?"

Scully shook her head in confusion; when was that arranged for her? Taking a breath she was about to tell the older woman no, when she felt Mulder's hand close around hers on his chest.

"We hadn't planned on it," he told her gently when he saw the disappointment in her eyes. "But…"

"I only asked because Bill had planned to stay over tonight… but Tara isn't feeling well so it means I'll be staying here on my own… and I-"

"Hey."

Mulder's voice caused her to quieten, and she turned back to look up towards the couple who were watching her with such adoration. In that one moment she finally understood why her beloved sister had loved this young man so much.

"We can stay," he offered before he looked down at the woman by his side for confirmation.

"We'll stay," Scully agreed albeit a little reluctantly, but when Mulder squeezed her hand in reassurance she nodded slightly and offered her aunt a small smile. "We can stay tonight."

"Thank you," Lucy sighed, relief filtering through her voice as she gestured towards the plate of food in her hand. "I'll just go and cover this."

"Okay," Scully smiled, even though she could already feel the cold grip of sorrow encompass her heart.

Mulder waited until the older woman had started to walk away before he inclined his head down to his petite partner. She who was still standing close by his side, holding onto him like some kind of lifeline.

"Are you okay with this, Scully?" he asked. "I…"

"Yeah," she spoke, her voice quivering slightly. "It's only for one night… right?"

Mulder moved away from her slightly but kept a hold of her hand as he regarded her worriedly. "Scully, if you're not ready, I can take you home and I'll come back here-"

"No," she told him sharply, that single word slicing through his voice before she let out the breath she'd been holding. "No… we'll both stay."

"You're sure?"

Lifting her eyes to his, Scully found her fears dissipate when she saw the concern for her in his gaze. She loved this man with every fibre of her being, and even though they had in effect separated, she knew there would never be any other man in her life. He was it for her… her one and only… and in her heart she knew that these months apart had only effectively made those feelings of love and devotion stronger.

"Yes," she told him with a genuine smile. "I'm sure."

000

It was late evening by the time most of the mourners began to leave...The only people besides Mulder and Scully remaining were Bill and Lucy, and even now, Bill was trying to persuade the older woman to go back to the hotel he was staying in with his family..

"You know Bill, you seem to think I'm not capable of looking after myself," Lucy scolded lightly as she continued to help Scully clear away the leftover food from the table. "If you're so concerned about me, why don't you stay here with me instead of Dana and Fox?."

Scully stopped in mid movement and smiled warmly at her aunt before she shot an annoyed look towards her brother. "She'll be fine here, Bill. Mulder is with us."

"Phht," Bill groused, not even trying to hide his distaste. "I don't know what you see in that loser!"

His comments caused a sudden wave of anger to course through Scully's veins and she slammed the plate back down onto the table before turning around to face him, her temper flaring as she stalked towards him.

"The only _loser_ in this house is _you_ ," she hissed. "What is it that irritates you so much Bill? Is it because _he's_ the most important man in my life? Is it because _I_ don't need you to bully your way around defending your _poor_ defenceless sister?"

Her voice rose with every step she took towards him. Her usually deep blue eyes were specked with fury as she descended upon him like a tiger stalking its prey.

"He-"

"He was by my side when mom was in the hospital. He held her hand and spoke to her when she took her last breath… so don't you _dare_ call him a loser."

Mulder raced back into the room from where he had been cleaning the dishes in the kitchen. His overcoat and suit jacket had been discarded onto the back of one of the dining chairs and his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He had heard the heated exchange from the kitchen and instantly torn off the yellow rubber gloves he'd been wearing to toss them next to the sink.

Coming to a halt in the doorway he took a slow step forward when he saw his partner, the woman he loved, stalking up to her brother with barely contained fury seeping from every pore.

Bill caught his eye and whatever defeat he was going to submit to flittered away the second he saw the object of his contempt.

"He left you. Not just once, but twice!"

"Bill-"

Mulder stepped forward but Bill Scully was refusing to hear him, instead turning his glare back towards his sister.

"You stand by him through all the grief he caused this family... our sister, Dana," Bill spat. "Melissa… _our_ sister, remember _her_?"

The mention of their sister sent Scully reeling, and all of the rage that had possessed her only moments previously suddenly diminished, causing her to shrink away from her brother, the force of his words almost breaking her apart.

Surging forward, Mulder placed himself in between Scully and her brother, his eyes matching Bill's ferocious glare.

"You have a problem with me Bill then you say what you have to say to me, right here, right now. But you leave Dana out of this…"

"You're a sorry son of a bitch," Bill raged. "Nothing's changed. You're still here playing happy families. Oh _wait,_ no you're not, _YOU_ gave your kid away! You-"

The sound of the hard crack of Mulder's fist hitting Bill's jaw echoed throughout the room, the force of it sending him reeling backwards. Mulder's fists clenched by his side, his deep raking breaths surging through his chest as he tried to control his anger. This was the last thing that Mulder had wanted for Scully, even though this fierce encounter had been brewing for years. Bill had honed in and focused on the one thing that he knew would break his sister, just to get back at him, and he would be held accountable… for all of it.

" _OUR_ son was loved," Mulder growled, his anger spurring him forward. His vision blurred and his only focus was the arrogant man before him. He took a step closer but stopped when he felt a smaller hand wrap around his arm.

"BILL SCULLY JR," a voice bellowed from behind them, causing the oldest Scully to turn his attention to his elderly aunt who was walking towards the three of them, shaking her head in disappointment. "This is still your mother's house and you are being disrespectful towards your sister _and_ her husband."

"They're not-"

"They may not have the ring and the piece of paper to prove it, but they are married in _every_ sense of the word." Stepping closer, Lucy continued to pierce her nephew with disapproving eyes as she stared him down, much like his mother would have done if she were here. "Your mother would not allow this behaviour in her home, so I think you should make your apologies and leave."

Bill stood stock still and gaped at her in disbelief. He was the one who was just punched in the face yet he was being told to leave? He opened his mouth to protest, but the words died on his lips when he watched the man he had chosen to hate, crumble before his very eyes. It was then he realised just how much his outburst had hurt… not only his sister, but Mulder too.

"I shouldn't have lost my temper," Mulder shook his head apologetically, his gaze dropping down to the petite woman by his side. "I've tried, Scully… I've really tried."

"This is not your fault," Scully told him softly, concern at his obvious distress breaking her heart.

"William… I..." those words crept through his lips, their impact causing his whole body to shudder as he pulled her into him and buried his head into her shoulder. "I miss him…"

Scully felt her own emotions faltering as she held him as tightly as she could. Over the years they had developed this strange embrace that had her standing on her toes in order to hold him… She knew the difference between his need for comfort and his inconsolable grief. He was breaking apart, finally allowing the loss of their son to manifest into the only release he could, and it had taken her brother, of all people, to fracture his walls.

Tears flooded her eyes as she kissed his ear, her lips pressing against every piece of skin she could find.

"I know," she whispered through her own swell of loss as she held onto him as tightly as she could. "I miss him too… shhh… it's okay…"

Bill stepped backwards, his words of apologies falling on deaf ears as shame coursed through his body. His aunt ushered him away from the couple who were lost in their own grief, listening as he said how sorry he was, over and over again.

When he stepped over the threshold and out into the the night air, he turned once more to apologise but couldn't seem to make his mouth work. He had allowed his grief to fuel a hatred for which he had no grounds anymore. He'd possibly damaged his already fragile relationship with his sister forever…

"Tell them, I'm sorry," he gasped out, his hand reaching out to grasp his aunt's fingers. "I shouldn't-"

"No you shouldn't have," Lucy scolded softly even though she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. "Give them some time, okay. Your sister has always been very forgiving."

Bill tried to look over her shoulder to see if he could see the two people he had managed to wound, but Lucy blocked his view. He knew she was protecting them from him, and right at this moment he couldn't blame her. So, taking a deep breath he nodded in defeat and took a step back. Dropping her hand he slowly turned around to walk away from his mother's house and the memories it left behind.

Lucy watched until he was out of sight before she pushed the door closed, the soft click echoing throughout the hall. Sighing sadly she thought about leaving the house herself to give the couple time on their own to grieve, but she knew there was something she needed to do first.

Taking a breath, she turned around and felt her heart clench when she saw how her niece and her partner were still in the same place she'd left them only moments ago, rocking each other back and forth to a rhythm that only they could hear.

"Dana, Fox," she spoke their names so softly, hoping that what she had to show them would ease some of their pain. "When you're ready, come into the study. I have something to give you… it's a gift from your mother, Dana. A gift for both of you…"

Turning away from them, she made her way towards the study, hoping that they wouldn't be too far behind her.

Lifting his head, Mulder stayed close to her and rested his forehead against hers. He was emotionally exhausted and a little embarrassed that he allowed someone other than Scully to see his weakness. She had already seen him at some of the lowest points of his life. She had been there to hold him up when he didn't have the strength to stand...she was his… everything.

"Are you okay?" she asked him in a whisper, her breath fanning his face.

"Yeah," he nodded slightly as he lifted his hands to frame her face. Rubbing his thumbs across her cheeks he smiled down at her as he placed his lips onto the centre of her forehead. When he pulled away he melted into her gaze for a few more moments before he slowly released her to slip his arm around her shoulders, leading her towards the study where her aunt was waiting

tbc


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who has left reviews, PM's and favoured/followed this story. I am incredibly humbled by the response to this. I haven't forgotten about my Burn Notice story. It's next on my list after this one is finished.**

 **As always thanks to my friends Purdy's Pal, JediSkysinger and DaisyDay for their support**

4

Soft light emanated from the lamp on the desk, bathing the study in a warm glow. Mulder ushered Scully into the room first, his hand resting against her lower back as he guided her inside. This was one part of the Scully residence that he hadn't been into before but Mulder noted that all around the room, there was a huge presence of Scully's father.

"My dad used to spend a lot of his time in here," Scully mused as a small smile crossed her lips. "This was his Aladdin's cave."

"Really?" Mulder's gaze took in the array of various books that sat neatly on the many shelves, and he wished that he could have had a chance to meet the man in person. Maybe he wouldn't have been as bad tempered as the younger Bill Scully… and maybe, just maybe he would have found an ally in the older man.

Lucy smiled warmly, beckoning them to join her by the large desk that sat in the middle of the room. She saw Mulder's eyes drop down onto the surface where various packages were placed in neat piles, each with a different name marked in black writing. As she watched the couple before her should couldn't help but feel a burst of affection towards the pair of them. Her sister had called their relationship a _special_ kind of love...something that Lucy could plainly see for herself since the moment she had seen them together. As she focussed on Mulder she could plainly see that he was having an inner war. He wore his turmoil like a beacon, even though he thought he hid it from everyone around him. What he didn't realise was that Maggie had seen something in him that caused her to add him into her family...there was no other higher honour than that.

Mulder suddenly felt like an intruder in what was a deeply personal family room. He loved Scully more than anything and he was here to support her in every possible way...but this felt like he was taking the place of Bill Scully jr...and lord knows that man didn't need any more reasons to hate him.

"Are you sure you want me in here for this, Scully?" Mulder asked, keeping his voice soft as he spoke. "I can wait outside if-"

"What?" Scully asked in confusion, already reaching out to grasp his hand. "Why wouldn't I want you here?"

Mulder held onto her fingers and brought them up to press a tender kiss onto her knuckles before he brought their joined hands to his chest.

"This was your father's study…"

"And?"

"You have family things to discuss," Mulder told her honestly as he ran his thumb across her fingers. "I'll-"

"You _are_ family, Mulder," Scully's voice rose slightly in volume as she grasped his hand tighter by way of cementing that fact. "You're _my_ family."

" _Fox…_ "

Lucy's soft utterance of his name tore his attention away from his partner to look across at the older woman who was holding out a small package towards him. His confusion gave way to curiosity as her unwavering smile caused him to release Scully's hand and take a tentative step towards her.

"What's-"

"My sister loved you, Fox," Lucy told him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "She left this here for you."

The lump in Mulder's throat threatened to steal what little grasp he had on his already frayed emotions. The fact that Margaret Scully had left him anything spoke volumes and he found himself reaching out to take the package from her hand.

Looking down at it, he saw his name written clearly in Mrs Scully's unique scrawl and for a few moments he was torn between opening it now or taking it away to open it in private. He felt his partner step closer into his side, her presence filling him with the courage he needed to face his grief for the woman they both loved. So, with trembling fingers he pulled open the seal and peered inside.

He felt his heart thumping wildly inside his chest when he realised just how significant this gift was for him. Tipping the package upright he held out his hand to catch the contents that spilled out into his palm.

Scully gasped in a breath beside him and when he looked towards her he could already see her eyes swimming with tears. Blinking back the moisture in his own eyes, Mulder held up the object in his hand and took in all the details of the heavy Rolex watch between his fingers.

"That was dad's favourite watch; mom gave it to him for his birthday..." Scully whispered shakily, her voice almost breaking as she spoke. "I know he would have really liked you."

"I…"

"Mom loved you, Mulder," she reassured him softly as she brought her hand to rest on his forearm. "Dad would have accepted you for that reason alone."

"I...I don't know what to say," Mulder gasped out, his voice breaking a little when the significance if the watch spoke volumes to him. "I…"

"She left something else," Lucy told them, her soft voice breaking through his. "Something for both of you."

"Something else?" Scully asked, shaking her head as she spoke. "She changed her will and left this whole house to me… I… she… shouldn't have..."

"Wait, she left you this?" Mulder asked, holding his arm up to gesture the room. "But…"

"That's what I was going to tell you," Scully told him, her eyes swimming with unshed tears. "Aunt Lucy gave me a letter from my mom...she wants... _wanted_...William...to have a real home...here, with us…"

"But…"

"I know," Scully gasped out as a single tear broke free to roll down her cheek. Clutching his hand she leaned into his shoulder and closed her eyes. This whole gesture from her mother only succeeded to make the past few weeks all the more confusing. "I don't know why either...I…"

"Your mother had her reasons," Lucy told them, choosing her words carefully. "She had dreams of her grandson coming home here. I don't think she ever really believed he was gone from her life forever."

"But he can't…" Scully managed through the ball of grief that welled constantly within her. "It doesn't matter how...desperately _we_ need him...it's...impossible…"

"Nothing is ever impossible, Dana," Lucy told her gently as she lifted a large flat box off of the table and held it out to the two of them. "Here."

Scully eyed the box suspiciously before she slowly withdrew from Mulder's side to regard the item in her aunt's hand.

"What is is?"

"It's something your mother wanted you _both_ to have," she smiled. "It belongs to you...it always did."

Scully took the box from Lucy and watched in confusion when her aunt made her way towards the door.

"Wait...where are you-"

"I believe that you and Fox need to look at it in private," she said cryptically. "Call me when you're done...I'll make us some tea."

Mulder's gaze flittered between the box in Scully's hand and her vacating aunt. This whole day hadn't turned out in any way that he'd thought it would. He was still reeling from Margaret's first gift to him and he hadn't even begun to process the prospect of Scully owning this house...and now...there was something else…

Scully looked up at him and met his gaze. She didn't know if she could take any more surprises today, not after everything she'd learned since they had first arrived. Moving towards the desk she placed the box onto the flat surface before lifting off the lid. Inside was what looked like her parent's wedding album, a memento of a much happier day. Lifting it out of its protective box she pushed the outer package further towards the middle of the desk before laying the album onto the mahogany surface. She had no idea why her mother left her wedding album to both her and Mulder, maybe it was just her way of saying how much she approved of their relationship. Scully doubted that they would ever know her mother's motives but she pushed her questions to the back of her mind as she opened the album to look inside...and gasped in a breath.

"What…" Mulder placed his watch back into its package and laid it on the desk before he stepped closer to Scully to see what had caused her to whole body to tremble. As he peered over her shoulder he felt his knees almost falter and he held onto the desk for support when he found his gaze locked onto the photographs laid out before him...photographs of their son…

Scully's vision blurred with tears as she reached out blindly to trace her fingertip over the images placed neatly in the photo album. She didn't have any photos left apart from the one she and Mulder shared...but this...these precious photographs were worth more than anything she'd been given today...and with the photos came the memories, each one surging through her to bring an ache she never thought she could feel again.

Beside her, she could feel the man she loved unable to hold onto his wavering emotions. He had been so strong for her, so supportive, but he was finding it just as difficult as she was right now. Lifting her head she looked up at him and gasped in a breath. She had seen him broken before, many times...but nothing could have prepared her for the complete devastation he openly displayed for her now.

The tears that had been pooling in her eyes slowly spilled over onto her cheeks to carve wet tracks over her face. Grief and loss echoed those in her partners eyes...bonding them together in ways that only they could know...and as the man she loved more than anyone else in the world crumbled beside her, she knew that she had to be the strong one this time.

Taking his hand in hers, she closed the album and picked it up with her free hand and guided him over towards the small love seat in the corner of the room, maneuvering him onto it. Releasing his hand, she sank down beside him and leaned into his trembling body, echoing the small sobs that emanated from his chest with her own as she placed the precious item onto their touching knees.

"I thought…" her voice caught in her throat as she laid her hand over his once more, intertwining their fingers over their precious son. "I burnt them...all…everything,,,and at the time I thought it was to protect him..."

"Scully…"

"I told myself it was for his sake…" she managed, her voice cracking with every word. "But it was...for mine…"

Unable to trust his own voice not to break if he spoke, Mulder just clutched her hand tighter as she opened the album once more. Memories filled him to bring a fresh onslaught of tears to his eyes. He should have been there with her...he should have taken both of them with him and disappeared...maybe if he had then they would have all been together today...but...there was no time for what if's any more.

Leaning in closer he pressed his lips to her temple and swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. They were together and their son was alive and free, living a normal childhood because of the sacrifice she... _they_...had made.

"He's safe…" he whispered into her hair; his tears falling onto the soft strands. "He's safe…"

Scully broke into a sob and leant further into him as she took comfort from his forgiving words. They had fought their own battles and carried many scars, the deepest ones being the loss of the beautiful child, whose image looked back up at them from the album held beneath their joined hands.

Focussing on one of the most precious images she thought she had lost forever… Scully allowed her sadness to flow freely as she gazed down onto a black and white photograph of Mulder with a sleeping William nestled on his chest. It was then that she knew she would never forget how much she loved them both.

Bringing their joined hands to her lips, Scully placed a kiss onto his fingers before she turned up to face him. Their eyes met and it was all she needed for the words she hadn't spoken aloud for so long to tumble from her lips…

"I love you, Mulder…"

tbc


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:Thank you so much for all of your PM's,reviews and favourite story/author adds. I appreciate all of your comments. I wish I had time to reply to all of you individually but please know I am incredibly humbled by your kind comments.**

 **As always thank you to my wonderful friends, Purdys Pal, Jediskysinger and DaisyDay for their constant support**

5

Mulder closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. It had been so long since she had spoken those words to him… so long since they had allowed themselves to feel. Turning his face he pressed his lips into her hair and whispered those same three words back to her, each word sealing them back together, erasing all of the hurt that had caused them to part so long ago. He felt her breath hitch in her chest as she moved against him, tilting her head up towards him so she could look into his watery gaze. Every possible way to say I love you passed between them, both conveying without words that they would never be apart again.

Reaching up, Scully traced her free hand across his cheek and sought out his lips with her own...her need to feel closer to him outweighing anything else. Mulder knew what she needed...what they both needed, and he could feel it too. He had missed her more than he cared to admit, and when he met her halfway, closing the gap between them to press them together in a soft, tender kiss, he knew he could never let her go again.

After a few precious moments their lips parted, and they both pulled back to regard each other in a loving gaze. No words were needed anymore, not now...they were finally back together in every way that counted. Scully offered him a small smile as she pressed one more soft kiss against his lips before pulling away again to lay her head against his shoulder, lowering her gaze back towards their gift.

She continued to hold onto Mulder's hand as they processed every single photograph in the precious album nestled upon their knees. The images of their beautiful son brought more than tears to flow from both of them. His little smiling face sent waves of joy, loss, sadness and complete pure love to flow through both of them.

Scully continued to rest her head on Mulder's shoulder as he traced his fingertips over his son's sweet face, knowing that he was wishing, just as she was, that they could have had so much more time with him. Granted she'd had five more months with William than Mulder had, but she knew that Mulder's pain matched hers in every single way.

"I wish…" Mulder's voice trailed away as he tried to force his sorrow away. Their son was gone and there was nothing that either of them could do to bring back the years they had lost with him.

Scully tightened her hold on his hand, lacing her fingers through his once more. No matter how many times Mulder had told her that she'd made the right decision to give their son up, she still carried the guilt deep within her anyway… it was something she could never escape, no matter how many times she told herself it was for all the right reasons. He was their miracle; their flesh and blood. He was the only living proof of their everlasting love for one another...but he was gone, and she would carry the heaviness in her heart until the day she died.

"I know," she whispered as she turned her face to nestle her lips against his shoulder. "I wish he was with us too…"

Mulder reached down to turn over another page and instantly choked back a sob. Scully lifted her head and shuffled even closer towards him as she too was finding it increasingly difficult to keep her ever present tears at bay. There laid out for them was their love on show, but neither of them had ever seen it displayed to them in that way. Scully's mother must have taken the photograph while the two of them had succumbed to sleep while their son nestled in between them.

"I hope…" Mulder choked out through the words caught in his throat. "I hope...he gets...to see this…"

Scully nodded against him, her lips buried against his ear. Tears trickled over her already wet cheeks but she didn't care anymore. She was so tired of hiding their son away from the world when all she wanted to do was cherish his memory. Pressing her lips against his cheek, she turned her head so that she could gaze upon the photograph that had caused the man beside her to break and nodded against him.

"We should... frame this one," she whispered hoarsely as she swallowed against the emotion that constricted her voice. "When we get home…"

Her words brought his eyes away from their family pose to focus on her. This woman beside him was his life; the other half of him. They had been together for over twenty years, interwoven in each other's lives in every different way.

"Yes," he murmured against her temple, his lips grazing her skin. Closing his eyes briefly he breathed in her unique scent and allowed himself to relax against her. They had both been through hell and back to get to this point in their lives. Their love for each other had never waned, even when they weren't effectively together...and he knew he was still an incredibly lucky man to still have her by his side after everything he'd put her through.

"Mulder," Scully's voice rose a little as she lifted her head from his shoulder to get a closer look at one of the photographs on the last page of the album.

"What?"

"Look," she gasped as she pointed to the date marked beneath a small photograph of William that her mother had obviously taken on the last day she'd looked after him. From the surroundings they were in some restaurant but it wasn't that that had caught Dana's eye. Reaching down she pointed to the coin laid on the table beside William's bottle and suddenly felt her eyes glisten with a fresh onslaught of sorrow.

"Is that…?"

"I think it is," Scully whispered brokenly as she pulled the chain out from beneath her shirt to examine the coin her mother had worn. "This must have been why she kept it...it's her last link...her _last_ …"

When her voice trailed away Mulder untangled their fingers to wrap his arm around her shoulders. He wasn't sure if possessing the immortalized coin would provide the same level of comfort to Scully as it did her mother, but he hoped it somehow would.

"Maybe...she kept it to remind herself of the last time," Mulder offered softly, his voice still hoarse as he spoke. "Maybe it was her way of keeping a link to him...but…"

"We'll never really know," Scully's voice was thick with emotion but she swallowed back the tears before they could reappear. Despite the unanswered questions they had been given the best gift that any parent could have...they now had photos to go with the memories of their son. Proof that he was truly loved.

"Maybe not," Mulder sighed into her hair and watched silently as she closed the album with delicate, trembling fingers. He fought the urge to take the book from her and open it again, just so that he could see his son one last time before they closed the memories away, but he knew by the way the woman beside him was trembling that she needed him to be her anchor once more. They sat in silence for a few moments before she spoke again, the slight tremor in her voice stirring his own torrid emotions to peek once more.

"Did I do the right thing?" she asked quietly as she lifted her eyes to his. "One of the last things my mom said to me before I gave William up...was that I had to love him...but…"

Mulder pulled her in closer to press his lips against her forehead, reassuring her in the only way he knew how. He could feel her body shaking and he was suddenly filled with a deep sense of uneasiness. He had been expecting her to break apart for so many years but she had been so strong...so much stronger than him. She had cried, yes...had days when her smile failed to reach her eyes...but she had never broken, not fully...not in front of him. Taking the album from their knees he placed it beside his feet so that he could turn towards her.

"I did it _because_ I...loved him…" Scully's voice suddenly broke into a sob only to be followed by another, and then another. She reached for him blindly, clinging onto him with everything she possessed as memories of their beloved child forced all of the deeply buried pain from over a decade, to finally be set free.

Mulder held on tight, rocking her fragile form back and forth as her sobs wracked through her body. So much pain...so much sorrow...it echoed around the room as if to magnify the intensity of a loss they had both suffered.

"It's okay…" he whispered through his own tears as he held her. "It's okay…"

000

Lucy glanced up and smiled brightly when Mulder made his way into the kitchen to sit down opposite her at the table. He knew it was blatantly obvious by the way she watched him with sympathetic eyes, that he hadn't hidden his emotions very well.

"I've made you some tea," Lucy told him gently as she reached across the table to pat his hand. "Then we'll talk."

Mulder opened his mouth to tell her that he didn't think he had the energy to talk anymore but changed his mind when Scully made her way into the kitchen to sit down beside him. He turned towards her, his worried eyes scanning her soft features before he reached out to cradle her cheek in the palm of his hand.

"You doing okay?" He asked softly as he smoothed his thumb across her flushed face, wanting nothing more than to pull her back into his embrace and never let her go again.

Lifting her hand she laid her palm over his fingers on her face and nodded, even though she didn't think she would ever feel ok again.

"Dana," Lucy's voice broke through the moment and the couple lowered their hands to lay, finger's joined, in Scully's lap. "Would you like some tea, dear?"

Scully swallowed hard as she tried to find her voice, but the words got stuck in her throat. She wanted all of the answers to why her mother had left everything to her...she needed to know so many things, but she didn't have the energy or the will to do that right now. So instead, she nodded her head slightly and offered her elderly aunt a small smile before she sought out the warm body beside her.

Mulder shuffled a little closer and unclasped their fingers so that he could smooth his hand across her shoulders. With very little effort he maneuvered her closer and felt her body relax against him as she tucked her head beneath his chin.

"I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing now," she sighed tiredly as she nestled against him. "Why did mom leave everything to me?"

"I'm sure she had her reasons," Mulder told her softly as he rubbed his cheek against her hair. "Maybe she just wanted you to have something stable in your life."

"I can understand that," she sighed. "But what are we going to do with a four bedroomed house? It's a home...it should have children running around these rooms and happy memories...it'll just be so wasted on us…"

"Just take some time, Scully," his words disappearing into her hair. "Wait for a few months before you decide what you want to do...don't pack the memories away while they're still so painful."

Scully closed her eyes and turned her face into his chest, placing a soft kiss onto the material that kept her from his skin. He was still taking care of her, even now. He didn't want her to bury her pain like he had. Everything his parents owned had been sold off until he had nothing left of their family life together. He didn't want her to make that same mistake.

"I just don't want to have to cope with Bill when he finds out I'm the sole beneficiary…" she groaned. "I'm so tired…"

Her voice was so soft that Mulder had to strain to hear her. Inclining his head, he pressed his lips into her hair and kissed the soft strands as he traced his fingertips up and down the silken material covering her arm.

"You should get some rest," he whispered, his breath fanning her hair. "It's been a long day... And let me deal with your brother, okay...your mother had her reasons when she signed everything over to you."

"I wish I knew what they were…"

"Things will be better tomorrow," he told her softly. "Just don't dwell on the unanswered questions today."

Scully nodded against him, exhaustion reaching through every part of her body. She doubted that sleep would come for her tonight, especially here, in a house that held so many memories. There was also the delicate sleeping arrangements that they still had to discuss. She didn't want to presume that this beautiful man who had shown her so much love, still wanted to share a bed with her after all this time. It was effectively her who had ended things between them...

Lucy placed two steaming mugs of tea on the table in front of them before she eased herself down into one of the chairs opposite them. She regarded them both fondly as she reached out for her own cup and brought it to her lips, but when her eyes caught the gold chain around her niece's neck she lowered her cup and placed it back onto the table.

"The necklace…" she kept her voice even as she spoke, motioning with her hand towards the gold chain peeking out from behind Dana's shirt. "I met your mother for coffee that day… I don't think either of us thought it would be the last time we got to spend time together with your little boy."

Guilt mixed with immense grief swirled its way through Scully's mind but she swiped at her eyes before any more tears could form. She was so tired of feeling like this… so numb…she was gradually losing the strength that she'd held onto all of these years. The armour she had held around herself was beginning to crack and she was becoming afraid of what would happen to her when it finally gave way. Only Mulder had seen her at her very worst and she knew it was only him that would be able to stop her from falling over the edge of despair… it had always been him…She was so immersed in her own thoughts that she didn't realise that her aunt was still talking. Taking a breath she took comfort in the man beside her and stroked her thumb over his thigh as she listened.

"When the waitress brought our order she gave Maggie that coin," she told them and motioned towards the necklace. "She said it was because the baby couldn't take his eyes off of it but I think it was because of something else."

"Something else?" Mulder asked, his curiosity piqued as he sat up a little straighter in his seat. "What happened?"

"You're going to think I'm crazy," she chuckled humorously as she thought of that day. "It was just so… strange…"

"Hey crazy is what we live for," Mulder told her with a smile as he tugged Scully a little closer. "It's part of our job description."

"What happened aunt Lucy?" Scully asked softly as she raised her hand to close over the coin around her neck.

"It flew out of her hand and landed right next to the baby…" she shook her head ruefully. "Your mother said it fell but I saw it with my own eyes...it flew out of the waitress' hand."

"It flew?" Mulder asked. "As in...it levitated?"

"No," Lucky reached down to wrap both of her hands around her warm cup. "The baby was crying and then the thing sort of leapt from her hand… and then he suddenly stopped crying when it landed next to him. It was just so...odd…"

Scully closed her eyes and bit down onto her bottom lip. After all these years, after everything she had seen… those unexplained phenomena connected with her baby still sent shards of fear through her body. She could feel Mulder's knowing eyes on her and for the first time in fifteen years, she finally felt redeemed...someone other than herself had witnessed William's strange powers… she just wished she had known so much sooner than now.

"So why did she keep it?" Scully asked when she finally found her voice as she pulled the necklace out from under her shirt. "And why did she do this?"

Lucy sighed heavily and lowered her eyes briefly before she lifted her gaze to look at the couple opposite her.

"It was the last time your mother had him all to herself...it was the last time she was able to take him out and show off her grandson. And I suppose in her own way, she knew there was something... _special_ about him."

"Did Margaret witness anything else with our son?" Mulder asked cautiously as he cast Scully a worried glance. "Did she see anyone watching her? Anyone taking more than an interest in-"

"Mulder…" Scully's soft voice broke through his words, her sadness reaching through to stop him in his tracks. What good would it all do them to rehash how and why things had happened? It wouldn't erase the last fifteen years...

"Don't you want to know, Scully?" He asked, his voice no more than a whisper. "Don't you-"

"He's gone, Mulder," Scully snapped, her voice rising only to break again when she saw the hurt in his eyes. Reaching to cover his hand on his knee with her own, she squeezed his fingers as she offered him an apologetic smile. "I'm...sorry."

Mulder lifted their joined hands to his lips to place a warm kiss onto her knuckles. He kept doing this… he kept hurting her. He'd been hurting her unintentionally for so many years… he was just so enormously lucky that she was so forgiving of him and his faults.

"No, I am," he whispered against her finger's. "It's not important anymore…"

Lucy watched their interactions and smiled in spite of the situation. Her sister had spoken of the man opposite with so much affection and it was only now, seeing how he responded to her niece, that she saw what Maggie had seen all those years ago.

"She loved all three of you," she told them matter of factly. "Very much… and she understood your reasons for parting with your child...but she was your _mother_ , Dana. She felt your loss just as strongly as you did… and if keeping hold of that coin around your neck helped her to cope with her own loss, then we shouldn't question her reasons."

Mulder lowered his and Scully's joined hands back onto his knee and smiled at the elderly woman with a newfound respect. She had managed to defuse their questions with only a few words...something that he'd admired in Scully _and_ her mother. But before he could answer she pushed her chair back and pulled herself to her feet.

"I think I'm going to turn in," she told them warmly, careful to indicate that her room was at the other end of the house and away from Dana's old bedroom. "I'll take the guest room...sleep well you two."

Mulder nodded his head in acknowledgement but kept his attention on the woman who was still close to his side. It had been a very long day and he was feeling the cusp of exhaustion creeping around him but he fought it off with every ounce of strength he could muster,

"Goodnight aunt Lucy."

Scully released his hand and moved away from him as she stood up to wrap her aunt in a tight hug. Mulder already missed her warmth and he cursed himself for being so attached, but he couldn't help himself. He had loved this woman for almost half of his life… being without her had caused his world to fall away around him and he didn't know if he would survive without her by his side anymore.

When the elderly woman had left, Scully turned back towards him and regarded him fondly as she she moved towards him once more. Reaching out, she captured his face in her hands and leaned down to press a soft kiss onto his waiting lips, his warmth spreading through her tired body. When she pulled away, she stepped back and smiled down at him before she released him only to hold out her hand.

"Will you..." she started, only to have him stand to his feet, his movements causing the words to die on her lips.

"Yes…"

Stepping forward he took hold of her hand and smiled down at her with knowing eyes. He loved her so much, and it had only grown in intensity over the years… wordlessly he allowed her to lead him out of the kitchen, willing to follow wherever she led him...knowing that they would never be apart again...

tbc


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you as always for your reviews, PM's, favourite author/story/follows. I really do appreciate every one of your comments. I am a full time carer for my sick husband so I don't get a lot of time to get online to respond to everyone, but please know I read every comment.**

 **Thank you to my friends Purdy's Pal, JediSkysinger and DaisyDay for being my rocks**

6

Scully lead Mulder through the hall and towards the stairs, pausing momentarily to look into the study. The photo album with all of the pictures of their son was still on the desk where they had left it, and she fought with every fibre of her being to not rush in and retrieve the precious item. Beside her, Mulder tightened his hold on her hand and stopped her from moving further up the stairs as he slowly turned her around.

"It will still be there in the morning," he told her softly, his gravelled tones bringing her eyes up to his.

Scully could see the love and fear radiating from his eyes, knowing that he could see much the same emotions mirrored in hers. Part of her wanted to rush into the study and hold onto that photo album and never let it go, but she knew that those precious images would always be ingrained inside her forever. What mattered was the here and now...and the man beside her was very much her _now_.

Shaking her head she stepped a little closer towards him, invading his space as she lifted her free hand to lay it against his cheek. Everything passed between them in that one simple gesture, paving their future of what was to come.

Wordlessly she dropped her palm from his face and stepped away to tug on his hand, pulling him with her as she began her ascent up the stairs, taking him with her.

Mulder followed blindly, unsure of what she actually wanted from him tonight, but he knew that he would give her anything that she asked him for. He loved...adored...cherished...and any other endearment he could think of in his addled mind...he was hers.

When they got to one of the bedrooms close to the stairs, Scully opened the closed door and stepped over the threshold to lead him inside as she pushed the door shut to enclose them inside. In was only then that she released his hand to move across to the window so she could pull the drapes across before turning on the light. When she turned she was surprised to see him still standing in the same spot, his eyes following her every movement, and she found him all the more endearing in that moment.

She could feel the swell of nervous tension that radiated from both of them and made a mental note of how ridiculous it all was. They had been together intimately for many years now, but tonight it felt... _different_ somehow.

Taking a step closer towards him, she followed her instincts and gravitated into his body, welcoming the warmth as his arms enclosed around her. She laid her cheek flush against his chest, listening to the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath her ear. She didn't know what was going to happen tonight...but she knew she was where she needed to be right now.

Mulder's pulled her in closer to him, allowing his body heat to seep into her. She had been running on nothing but sheer willpower alone since her mother had died. He'd been worried about her more in the past few weeks than he had in all of their years together… and whatever she needed from him he would gladly give it to her willingly with all that he had.

Slowly she moved against him, turning her face so that she could place a kiss into the exposed skin of his throat. She allowed her lips to linger there, pressed against his pulsepoint as she took comfort from the steady rhythm of his heart for a moment before she slowly pulled away to glance up into his eyes.

"Will you stay?" She asked softly, suddenly feeling less sure of herself. "I…"

"Yes…" he whispered, his voice pushing away her worries as he framed her face with his hands. "For as long as you need me…"

His words sent a surge of tears to flood her eyes but she didn't try to blink them away this time. He was here, they were together and that was all she needed.

"Forever?" She asked with a shaky smile, expecting him to smile and joke just like he always did, but when he gazed upon her with so much love, she found herself beginning to unravel.

"Always," he told her honestly, as he slowly dipped his head to place a kiss onto her forehead...her eyes...her cheek...until he finally came to a stop and hovered over her lips...their breaths intermingling as he inched even closer until he sealed them together in a soft, sweet kiss.

When they pulled away, slightly breathless, Mulder laid his forehead against hers and smiled down into her eyes.

"We should get some sleep," he murmured as he danced his fingertips up and down her arms. "It's been a long day."

"Yeah," she told him on a sigh, her eyes closing briefly as she allowed his love to wash over her. "I am...tired."

Mulder placed one last kiss onto her forehead and stepped away to look at the double bed that would be theirs for the night. Reaching up for his tie he started to loosen the material until it came away from his shirt and draped it over the back of the single chair that sat beside the bed.

He fully intended to sleep in his clothes to give Scully all the time she needed, so when he toed off his shoes and sat down onto the bed, he was surprised to see her watching his every movement.

"Are you okay Scully?" He asked worriedly when she stepped towards him to lay her hand on his shoulder.

"I just remembered I don't have anything to sleep him."

Despite the seriousness in her voice, Mulder couldn't help but smile. Lifting his hand to place it over hers on his shoulder, he turned his head to place a kiss onto the inside of her wrist.

"Don't worry, Scully. I'll sleep on top of the covers," he chided. "I won't look…"

Scully smiled despite his attempt at humour to ease his fears. She couldn't believe how two people who had seen each other's naked bodies on so many occasions, could actually feel so, _nervous._ They had been lovers and partners for over two decades. They had a child together...so why were her legs shaking? Taking a breath she opened her mouth to tell him not to be so ridiculous when she instead followed her instincts and placed her fingertip over his lips, the gesture halting anything he was going to say.

"I want to feel _us_ again…" she told him honestly, the emotion in her voice causing her whole body to tremble. "I don't...want to be...without _you_ anymore."

Mulder held her gaze as he pursed his lips to kiss her fingertip, watching intently when her eyes slowly closed. Moving his hand over her fingers covering his lips, he turned his head to press a warm kiss into the centre of her palm, all the while watching for any signs from her that she didn't want him this close to her.

Scully opened her eyes and smiled down at him, already feeling those fluttering worries slowly disappear when his kisses became bolder... and he pressed his lips over her wrist and further up the inside of her arm. His tenderness seemed to awaken her body as every touch of his lips sent sparks throughout her senses, causing her to come alive beneath his touch. She could feel those dark edges of sadness slowly melting away as he pressed his lips to her skin. She was losing herself and her sorrow in the wake of his love...and she never wanted it to end.

She kept her eyes focused on him as he continued his gentle onslaught. Scully could already feel herself buckling beneath his touch and his lips hadn't gone any further than her arm. She drank him in, relishing every touch, every kiss and every single caress. Was it wrong for them to be doing this now? Was this appropriate behaviour while they were in her mother's house and on the night of her funeral? Clamping her eyes closed she fought against the imaginary voice of her brother in her head...she would _not_ allow Bill to ruin this for them now, especially when she knew her mother would surely be rejoicing at their impending reunion.

"Scully?"

At the sound of his voice, Scully opened her eyes and found herself caught in his concerned gaze. Up until this moment she hadn't realised that he had pulled his lips away from her skin, obviously worried by her warring emotions…

Stepping closer into the V of his open legs she placed both of her hands onto his shoulders before wrapping her arms around him to hold his head securely against her stomach. In a flash of memory she was reminded of the last time when they had stood exactly like this, only on that occasion her stomach was swollen and Mulder had taken every opportunity to follow their child's movements with the palm of his hands. Now, fifteen years later those beautiful hands of his were roaming her stomach before sliding up and around her waist to wrap around her back as he held on tight.

They stayed that way for a few more moments before Scully began to move, lifting her hands to lace her fingers through his hair. She had missed him...and this closeness they shared. To them, standing like this, so close together was just as intimate as making love...but tonight she ached for closeness...for the connection that she had only ever felt with him. So, with a gentle movement she eased him slowly backwards, manoeuvring herself with him until they lay tangled on the mattress, both content to just lay together and thread their fingers together.

Turning his head to look at the woman laid beside him, Mulder pressed a feather light kiss onto her forehead, allowing his lips to linger over her skin before travelling a little lower towards her eyes, then her nose...until finally he hovered over her lips. He flittered his gaze between her eyes and her mouth, silently seeking the approval from her that this really was okay...but when she suddenly moved to seal her lips to his, every other thought evaporated to leave only her.

Their kisses remained sweet, loving...as they slowly reaquainted themselves with touches and sighs...both of them welcoming the familiarity that their bodies instantly recognised. Opening her mouth beneath his she deepened the kiss, pulling him down with her as she eased his fears with every single touch.

When their lips finally parted, Mulder shifted slightly so that he could prop himself up on one elbow to look down into her flushed face. In all the years they had known each other she had held his heart. He didn't think it was possible to be so consumed by one person until he'd met her...she had come into his life and turned his world upside down. She had shown him how to love...and be loved...it had always been her.

Lifting his hand to her hair he brushed some errant strands away from her eyes and smiled down at her.

"We don't have to do this," he whispered softly as he trailed a fingertip over her cheek. "We can just lay together."

His words caused her heart to beat just a little bit faster and she didn't think she could have loved him more than she did right now. Reaching up to caress his cheek she lifted her head to press her lips against his, drawing him back down to her with very little persuasion. She peppered his lips with tiny kisses, each one making up for every month they had been apart.

Pulling away from him slightly she lifted her hands, framing his face in between her palms as she urged him to follow her back down onto the bed.

"I want to be with you," she whispered, her breath mingling with his. "We've wasted so much time…"

"Scu-"

"Shh…" she told him as she pulled him to her, stealing her name from his lips as she kissed him.

As they kissed, Mulder's hands began to move, slowly roaming across her silk shirt as he lingered over her breast. Scully could feel his hesitance even now, as if he was worried that he would break her if he went too fast, so she decided to help him along…

Her fingers moved up to his shirt as she slipped the top few buttons free of their fastenings so that she could snake a hand over the exposed skin she found there. She kept their lips joined, pulling him deeper into the kiss, all the while urging him on with her hands until he began to move along with her to make this night about them and their love for one another…

000

Sunlight cracked through the drapes where they weren't quite closed; the bright rays shining onto the sleeping couple who were wrapped around each other in the bed. They had both fallen asleep in the early hours after their night of love had reconnected not just their bodies but their hearts and emotions as well. All of the time spent away from each other had simply fallen away with every meeting of their lips and bodies...they were _them_ again...Fox Mulder and Dana Scully...lovers...partners...friends…

A loud clatter from the kitchen caused Mulder to jolt awake and he opened his eyes only to close them again when the line of sunshine caught his face. His body ached in so many wonderful ways but he welcomed the ache...a reminder of the night of love he had shared with the beautiful woman beside him.

Turning onto his side he snuggled closer into her body, unable to resist the gravitational pull of her. Here she was, her eyes closed in sleep yet she still held every ounce of him within her; she always had. Inching closer towards her he breathed in her scent as he nuzzed her bare shoulder, placing soft kisses over her skin. He felt like a teenager again; in love for the first time...which was ridiculous because he had never fallen _out_ of love with her...they had just...l _ost_ their way.

"Mmm...morning…" Scully's sighed sleepily as she stretched against him before she turned onto her side so that they were face to face.

"Morning," he smiled, unable to keep the silly smile from spreading across his face as he moved in towards her to press a soft kiss onto her nose. "Did you sleep?"

Scully lifted her hand to his face and ran her thumb across his bottom lip before leaning in closer to capture his mouth in a soft kiss. She lingered against him for a few seconds before pulling back to rest her head on his outstretched arm as she snuggled into his chest and wrapped herself around him.

"I did," she smiled as she placed a kiss onto his bare chest before she settled against him. "I didn't think I would, even after we…"

Mulder enclosed his arms around her, his fingertips tracing circular patterns across her back. He too had had the best night sleep in many months and he knew it was all due to the peace and completion he had recaptured with her last night. He knew she was still grieving and they would both be feeling the loss of her mother for many months to come, but he liked to think that Maggie Scully was up there smiling down at them and congratulating herself on her part in them coming back together again.

"I missed you," he told her simply as he tugged her a little tighter against him. "I never _could_ sleep without you."

Scully closed her eyes and relished his closeness and the warmth of his body as she relaxed against him. He had been her rock in so many ways and he had managed to lessen her sadness with his love as he'd allowed her to lose herself in him.

"I could never sleep without you, either."

Noises coming from downstairs were an all too insistent reminder that they couldn't stay in their post coital haze and hide themselves away. Back when they shared a house _and_ a bed they used to stay wrapped around each other until very late morning, both of them content as long as they were together...but they couldn't do that now, not today. There was still too much to discuss and arrangements to be made, but they had taken that first leap forward and found one another again.

"So…" Mulder sighed as he buried his lips into her hair. "We should get up."

"Mmm…" came her mumbled reply, but she showed no signs of moving away from him. She was content to be here with him, taking refuge in his arms not wanting to move.

"Come on," Mulder slowly started to untangle their bodies but broke into a soft chuckle when she held on tight to prevent him from moving away from her. " _Scully…_ "

Sighing heavily she released her hold on him and watched his every movement as he moved away from her to sit on the edge of the mattress. Looking around the room his eyes settled on the pile of clothes that they had discarded last night. Shifting towards the edge of the bed he almost groaned aloud when his aching muscles protested, and he fought with every fibre of his being to stave the memories of the night before from entering his thoughts...because if they found their way into his mind he knew he wouldn't ever leave this bed while she was still in it.

Scully watched him, her eyes tracing every inch of his bare back. Somehow their night together had felt a lot like it had on their very first time, and she could feel the swirls of love and passion already reawakening parts of her that she thought she would never feel again. Even though he was still with her and only a few inches away, she _missed_ him...Pushing herself up, she didn't care that the covers spilled around her to reveal her naked body as she crawled on all fours towards him to embrace him from behind. She wasn't ready to let him go, even though he would always be by her side...so using her weight as an advantage she tugged him backwards onto the mattress...needing him and his love once more…

tbc


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for your comments, follows, PM's etc. I am very humbled by your kind words. This is the penultimate chapter. I'll try and get the final chapter posted by next week. Thank you all for reading.**

 **I apologise for the delay in posting this chapter. RL has been taking up a lot of my time. Thanks as always to my wonderful friends Purdy's Pal, JediSkysinger and DaisyDay for their constant support**

7

When the two of them eventually made it downstairs, the smell of freshly brewed coffee hit them as soon as they walked into the kitchen. Lucy who was busily flitting around the kitchen didn't even notice that they were there, or that both of them watching her with amusement.

When the elderly woman turned towards the table she almost jumped out of her skin and held her hand over her heart as she mockingly scolded them for almost scaring her to death.

"Oh my goodness!"

Scully shook her head in amusement and leant into Mulder's side. She couldn't seem to stop touching him...even more so now that they had found their connection again. Every glance, every smile, every touch...each one sent her heart fluttering like a lovestruck teenager.

"Sorry Aunt Lucy," she grinned. "We didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh you didn't dears," she beamed, already noticing how close they seemed this morning. "How are you both feeling today?"

Mulder tilted his head to look down at the woman beside him and couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips. Lifting his arm to nestle his hand in the small of her back, he couldn't stop himself as he dipped his head to press a kiss into her hair, before pulling away again to look into her eyes.

"I think we _both_ feel better today."

Scully smiled up at him, her gaze flitting between his eyes and his lips. How could it be that this man had managed to ease her heart and make the loss of her mother just a little less painful today? One thing she did know was that a few weeks ago she didn't think she would ever recover from her loss, but now, she'd had her faith restored that she could get through this pain, and that was all due to him.

"We do," she smiled as she tore her eyes away from his to look across at her aunt. "Things don't seem so bleak today."

"And that's just what your mother would want, sweetheart," Lucy nodded knowingly. "Now sit, both of you. I'll make you some breakfast."

"I can do that Lucy," Mulder told her, ushering Scully gently forward towards the table before he did the same to the older woman. "You've already done enough for us."

Lucy regarded him fondly and watched him move around the stove to finish the eggs that she'd started in the pan. Shaking her head in amusement she turned back towards her niece, not at all surprised that her gaze was centred on the man in the kitchen. Reaching across the table she enclosed her fingers around Dana's hands, bringing her attention back to her.

"Sorry…" Scully told her with an embarrassed smile. "Did you say something?"

Lucy just patted her hand and smiled knowingly. Her sister would certainly be happy with this turn of events.

"So, I'm heading back home today."

"Are you sure Aunt Lucy?" Scully asked as she squeezed the older woman's fingers. "We're both on leave for another week if you'd like to stay with us."

"I…"

"That's okay right Mulder?" Scully asked as her gaze once more returned to him.

He looked up and nodded enthusiastically before bringing two plates of steaming food towards them.

"Of course," he grinned as he placed the plates onto the table "You can stay in William's room."

The name of his son spilled from his lips without thinking and for a moment he stopped in his tracks, feeling the sadness creep over him...but when he felt a warm hand enclose around his, he found his gaze captured in cobalt blue eyes.

"We kept a room for him," Scully smiled, her eyes shining a little brighter with unshed tears as she tore her gaze from his to look at the woman who was watching them. "We bought a house with two bedrooms...just in case…"

"Maggie was the only one to sleep in it," Mulder told Lucy with a small smile. "But you are welcome to stay."

"I appreciate the offer," Lucy smiled. "But I really should get home...but maybe I could visit soon?"

"We'd like that," Scully told her as she squeezed her hand before she met Mulder's gaze, realising that she was a little relieved that Lucy had turned them down. Releasing Mulder's hand she couldn't help but notice that he too was a little relieved...and when he stepped away from the table to return to the stove she kept her gaze focused solely on him.

"So you're not going to stay here?" Lucy asked as she held her hand up to gesture the house around them. "Do you have any idea what you're going to do with the house?"

Scully watched Mulder's every movement, her eyes following him until he brought his own plate to sit down beside her at the table. Shaking her head she speared some scrambled egg with her fork before she lifted her eyes to her aunt.

Everything was still far too raw to even be thinking about things like this house and probate. She knew her mother had left her this house for William but Scully couldn't even focus on that possibility right now...even though she had always hoped...always dreamed that they would see their son again one day.

"I haven't thought about anything," Scully told her with a sigh as she looked down at her untouched food on her fork. "Maybe in a few months when things have settled down...I just…"

"Hey," Mulder's soft voice broke through her words, erasing the pain before it could take its hold. "There's plenty of time to decide what you want to do, okay...just focus on today and we'll figure everything else out later."

Scully could already feel her heart aching for this beautiful man beside her. All she wanted to do was take their son's photos, empty her apartment...and just...go _home_...home to the man she loved. Turning her head to look into his eyes, she offered him a warm smile and nodded in agreement before she returned to eating her breakfast.

000

The rest of the morning passed quickly with Lucy helping her niece with some boxes that her mother had arranged before her death. Lifting one of the larger ones onto the desk beside several others, Scully could see Bill's name scrawled clearly over the top of the box. It seemed Maggie Scully had prepared everything in advance, as if she'd known that she was going to leave them. Scully could only guess what was stored in the boxes earmarked for her brother and his family, but she knew that whatever they contained, the items inside would be cherished.

"You know your mother changing her wishes wasn't anything to do with you, don't you?" Lucy asked suddenly when she saw her niece's eyes linger over the boxes on the desk. "She didn't want any of you to sit by her hospital bed hoping she would wake up."

Scully's hands stilled as she looked up at her aunt, the look in her eyes almost breaking her apart. If she was honest with herself she had wondered if her mother had given up because of what she and Mulder had done. She knew that by giving William away she not only broke her own heart, but she broke her mother's as well.

"I...don't…"

Scully couldn't seem to make her mouth work. The words she wanted to say caught in her throat, constricting her voice, causing her to lower her gaze.

"She loved you," Lucy told her softly. "At the end of everything else...she _loved_ you."

Lifting her eyes onto the older woman once more, Scully tried to blink the moisture away before it blurred her vision.

"Did she...ever forgive me?" She asked softly, her voice trembling as she spoke. "I can't…"

"Oh sweetheart," Lucy gasped out as she came around the desk to embrace her niece in a powerful embrace. "Of course she forgave you...she was your mother."

"Then why didn't she tell me she didn't want to live?" Scully asked brokenly as a single tear broke free to slip down her cheek. "Why didn't she talk to me?"

Lucy loosened her arms and pulled back slightly so that she could see Scully's face before she lifted her fingers up to swipe them away from the younger woman's cheek.

"When you get to a certain age you start to think of your own mortality," she explained softly. "Your mother was living in this house that was full of memories, each one reminding her of a time when she was needed…"

"I needed her…" Scully interrupted, her voice almost coming out in a wail. "I…"

"Dana, you have your own life...you have a life with Fox," Lucy told her. "Bill has his own life and a family to take care of. Charlie is off...doing whatever it is he's doing and that leaves just her...she was lonely sweetheart, and believe me, when you get to my age you'll understand just how lonely life can become."

"But, I...I made it worse…" the tears were falling again as Scully tried to sniff them back. "I gave her grandson away...and I don't think she ever got over losing him."

"Of course she didn't," Lucy's voice lowered a little as she stepped a little closer and caught her niece's hand in her own. "But she understood your reasons and as your mother she grieved not only for herself, but for you, too."

"I just wish…"

"I know," Lucy sighed sadly before pulling Dana back into her arms. "But the past is over now. Honor your mother by living. Don't dwell on the things you can't answer."

Scully squeezed her eyes tightly shut and took a deep breath as she nodded against the older woman's shoulder. Pulling back she stepped out of her embrace to wipe at her face, pushing the moisture away as she tried to regain her composure.

"Okay," she whispered shakily, swallowing at the lump that had settled in her throat. "I'll try."

"Good girl," Lucy told her with a soft smile. "Now, how about we go and have some tea before your brother gets here to collect these boxes."

Scully regarded her aunt fondly as she nodded her head. She knew that her mother had left her with so many unanswered questions, and no matter how many times she told herself that everything would become clear in time...she still had her doubts. Taking a deep breath she forced a smile onto her lips and followed her aunt out of the room, hoping that Mulder wouldn't notice that she had been crying.

000

The knock on the door a few hours later filled Scully with a deep sense of dread. She had not been in any hurry to see her brother again after what he'd said to both her and Mulder the day before. Right at the moment she would happily walk out of his life forever, but she knew she owed it to her mother to try and at least keep the family together, even if it wasn't easy.

Before she could even think about what she was going to say to him, she felt a presence beside her and a warm hand engulf hers. Lifting her head she looked up into his eyes and instantly found the strength that she needed to face her brother head on. She could do anything with Mulder beside her...she could face her eldest sibling with a confident air...

Mulder watched the emotions shining inside her eyes as he squeezed her hand in reassurance. He kept his gaze upon her as he watched her for any signs that she wasn't ready for the oncoming confrontation...because he had no doubts in his mind that Bill Scully would find any way to antagonise this situation.

Bringing his body to stand just in front of hers, he took it upon himself to be her protector, keeping the same stance when Lucy opened the door to allow Bill into the house. Mulder was prepared to shield her from the older Scully, even if it meant he would be hated even more than he already was. There was just no way that Bill Scully would ever hurt her again, ever...not while he was around to stop him…

Tbc in final chapter


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you all so much for sticking with this story and for all of your support, I am extremely humbled by all of your comments. Thank you all so much for your reviews, favourite story/author/follows. I will try and reply to as many of you as possible in the next few weeks when I get a little free time.**

 **Thank you to Kelly for the beta and read through's. Without her encouragement I wouldn't have written this story**

8

Bill Scully hovered in the doorway, shifting from one foot to the other, obviously uncomfortable with the situation he had found himself in after his outburst the night before. In any other circumstances Mulder may have felt just a little bit of sympathy for him, but not today…

Behind him he could feel Scully move a little closer to him and felt himself relax a little when she laid the palm of her hand flat against the small of his back. Her touch sent calming waves throughout his body and for a moment he almost allowed his anger towards the older Scully slip away...but when he caught Bill Scully's custom glare, that anger came flooding right back.

"If you've come here to insult me some more then go ahead," Mulder told him, irritability slipping through his words. "I think you made your feelings for me very clear last night!"

Bill lowered his eyes in shame and shook his head as he fought to find the right words to say. After he'd got back to his hotel last night he'd received not one, but two lectures from his wife about holding onto his temper...and he knew that if he didn't fix things here today that there would be more trouble waiting for him when he returned to his hotel. Opening his mouth to speak, he felt the words die on his lips when he caught sight of his baby sister stepping forward to stand beside her partner looking lighter and younger than he'd ever seen her.

"What do you want Bill?" She asked him in a tone that reminded him of their mother. "If you've come to pick up the things mom left you they're in the office."

"Dana…"

Scully eyed her brother coolly, her unforgiving glare causing him to shrink back a little as he shifted his gaze onto the man standing by her side. For the first time since they had met, Bill actually allowed himself to look at Fox Mulder. He'd always chosen to hate this man, ignoring everything that he hadn't allowed himself to see. The man before him wasn't even looking in his direction anymore. Instead his gaze was focussed solely on the woman by his side, his face showing so many emotions that Bill began to question why he hadn't seen their love before now...he just hoped that his past actions hadn't damaged his relationship with his sister.

Scully's focus remained unwavered as she eyed her brother, unprepared to offer him any opportunity to hurt either her or Mulder again. Snapping her eyes from his, she lifted her gaze onto the man she loved and offered him what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Can you give us a minute?" She asked him softly as she lifted her fingers to his cheek.

"Scu-"

"It's okay," she promised with a soft smile, her words hoping to ease the worry from his eyes. "I'll be fine."

Mulder kept his gaze locked with hers for a few more moments before her reached up to wrap his fingers around hers on his face to place a kiss into the centre of her palm. Nodding slightly he squeezed her hand before he released her to take a step back, only then turning his eyes onto her oldest brother who was still standing in the same spot. Unable to keep the anger from his glare, he stepped a little closer to Bill until they were practically toe to toe.

"If you _hurt_ her," he seethed lowly, the anger in his words fuelling his emotions. "I promise you there is _nowhere_ you can hide."

Without waiting for a reply, Mulder turned away from to focus on his partner who was watching him with watery eyes. Reaching out for her hand, he squeezed her fingers one more time before he turned from the two of them and followed Lucy into the kitchen.

Scully watched him until he was out of sight. His touch and his love was all she needed to get through anything, including this impending confrontation with her brother. Without their mother's presence, Scully had to wonder whether the fragile relationship with her older sibling could be maintained...but right at this moment she wasn't sure she wanted to even try.

"Dana-"

"Mom left some things for you in boxes.," she started, eager to get this meeting over and done with as quickly as possible. "There's three, but don't ask me what's in them because they were already sealed."

"Look, Dana," Bill tried again, taking a step towards her. "I…"

"Save it Bill," Scully groused. "I don't want to hear it."

Turning away from him she started towards the office, motioning for him to follow her. Anger coursed through her, the strong residue from the night before still burning a path throughout her heart. What he had said to her and Mulder had stung at the time, but the impact of his tirade had cut deeply, far deeper than she thought he even realised. His inability to accept the man she had chosen didn't matter to her anymore and she had to wonder why she had sought his approval in the first place...all that mattered now was her life with Mulder and nothing her brother or anyone else had to say bothered her now.

Bill followed on behind her, his attempted apologies falling on deaf ears when she refused to hear him. He'd come here to at least try and offer some kind of penance for his behaviour, even if she didn't want to accept any of it. He knew he'd made a fatal mistake the second the spiteful tirade had surged from his lips and he wished he could take it all back...he wished that he could have just accepted that his mother had been right all along about Fox Mulder...he wished...but it was all too late now. He'd allowed his grief to spill out of him like molten lava and he didn't know if he would ever be able to repair the damage he had caused.

When he followed her into the office he was struck by how empty it all felt. As a child he'd spent many hours in here with their father, eager to please the man he had modeled himself upon. He'd followed a career path that was expected of him rather than what he'd really wanted, and maybe deep down that was why he resented his baby sister. She had defied their father's desired career choice for her and gone off on her own, building a life and a career that had molded her into the confident woman she was today...and he had to admire her for that.

"Dana…" he started, hoping to halt her in her tracks as she seemed to be darting backwards and forwards in order to avoid him. "What I said last night-"

"Oh, I think you said enough!"

Scully stopped in her tracks, her eyes lifting to his with a burning anger that caused him to shrink back slightly. Leaning against the desk, she balled her fists, the whites of her knuckles touching the mahogany desk top...fury seeping through every pore.

"You not _only_ insulted me, you insulted the man _I_ love," she spat. "Yes I said _LOVE_...and if you have a problem with that then the door is right there."

"Dana, I was insensitive," he tried, hoping she would hear him this time. "What I said to you-"

"NOT just to me," she told him, her words dripping with anger.

"No, not just to you," he nodded slowly. "I was wrong-"

"Damn right you were wrong!"

"I can see clearly how much he loves you, and I was wrong to say what I did last night...I was upset…"

"Really?" She chuckled mirthlessly. "YOU were upset? Well how do you think _WE_ felt after you implied we threw our baby away like trash?"

"I didn't…"

"YES you did," she spat. "You made it clear that you thought we didn't love our son. Not once have you asked me why. Not once."

"I…"

"We loved...we _LOVE_ him. We will always love him even though he isn't with us because we know that he is safe and he is alive." Standing up straighter, Scully walked out from behind the desk, stalking towards him. "I couldn't keep him safe...and _I_ made the decision to send him away, not Mulder, not anyone else…. _ME_...I did it."

Bill shook his head in confusion. After all this time he believed that it was Fox Mulder's abandonment that had prompted the adoption, and every time he'd tried to ask their mother she had become upset so he'd always changed the subject.

"I didn't know.."

"No, you didn't," she snapped. "How could you? You were too busy playing the important big brother who thought he could bully his way through my life. You had no intention of listening to anything I had to say, all you wanted to do was control me."

"That's not true," Bill blurted, hating the way she saw him. "I was just trying to keep you safe."

"From what?" She asked haughtily. "If your idea of keeping me safe is to belittle the father of my child then you have a funny way of showing it!"

"I'm sorry…"

"You know what Bill," she sighed, the fight in her voice slowly beginning to drain away. "I'm not sure I want to hear your apologies anymore...you set out to purposely hurt us last night. You might try and pretend that you said those things because of mom but I don't buy any of it. You hated Mulder even before you'd met him...you went out of your way to be difficult, well you know what...I just don't care anymore."

Bill shifted on his feet, shame flowing through every part of his body. He couldn't deny some of the things she'd just told him because there were some truths in her words. He _had_ chosen to hate a man he'd never met. He _had_ set out to belittle and diminish whatever credibility Mulder had in her life...and he still wasn't entirely sure he knew the reasons why.

"Look, Dana I was wrong," he kept his voice low as he spoke, hoping to reach her. "I have been wrong about a lot of things and I will apologise to him too."

"Bill," she sighed sadly as she looked around the room, her eyes focusing on anything but him. "I think you're too late."

"No, I don't believe that Dana," he implored. "I said some things that I shouldn't have and I've done some things to make you hate me but you have to believe me when I say, I never meant to hurt you."

Shaking her head, Scully sighed heavily and looked back towards the boxes on the desk. She felt emotionally drained and so far away from the highs of love that she'd been feeling just a few hours ago. She knew she owed it to her mother to at least try to keep her relationship with her brother alive, even if it was only just barely.

"She's left the house to me," she told him then, already waiting for the inevitable backlash, but to her surprise it never came. Turning her gaze onto him, she looked for any indication that he hadn't heard her. "Did you hear what I said? Mom left the house to me."

"I know," Bill nodded, taking a step closer towards her. "She told me a few months ago when she came to visit."

"That's _it_?" Scully asked, surprise mixing with resentment when his words sank in. "You've known all this time and all you can say is I know?"

"Dana…"

"Unbelievable," she groused as she threw her arms in the air in defeat. "I have wasted hours worrying about your reaction and _you_ already knew!"

Lowering his eyes. Bill released a heavy sigh when he realised how he had inadvertently hurt her once again. Seeing her like this, emotional and angry, brought forth every single one of the bad things he'd either done or said to her in the past. She was right, he was a piece of work and he was an arrogant bully...and for that he was truly sorry...he really was. Raising his eyes back onto her pacing form he took a deep breath and stepped forward to lay a hand onto her shoulder to still her movements.

"Look, Dana…" he started, as he fought to find the right words to say. "I didn't know mom hadn't told you...and I'm sorry you thought I'd be mad about it…"

"Well why _wouldn't_ I think you'd be mad Bill?" she hissed angrily, shrugging his hand away from her shoulder. "You have always been an asshole for as long as I can remember. Why would this time be any different?"

"I'm-"

"You're sorry?" Scully asked mirthlessly, shaking her head in disbelief as she turned away from him. " _I'm_ sorry Bill, but I don't believe you."

Bill's heart sank with her words. Had he really been so awful to live with all those years ago? He watched her for a few more moments before he moved a little closer towards her to lay a tentative hand on her arm.

"I know I was difficult before," he admitted softly. "But I can't take any of it back. I can't change the past...but for everything I've said to hurt you...I really am sorry."

"And what about Mulder?" she asked as she slowly turned around to face him, anger still present in her eyes. "You owe him more than an apology for all the crap you've said to him over the years, too."

"I know," Bill nodded. "And I will apologise to him too."

"Yes you will," Scully told him as she released a long sigh. "But not today."

"Wha-"

"We're going home today," Scully started, her voice level and measured as she spoke. "We need time to process...and I need time to forgive you."

Her words caused Bill's heart to beat a little faster as hope coursed through him. Swallowing hard against the lump in his throat, he looked at her with hopeful eyes.

"And can you?" he asked softly, "forgive me?"

Scully met his gaze and felt a little of the anger fade away from her when she saw the desperation in his eyes. She needed time to process...time to think...nodding slightly she took a deep breath before releasing it slowly. He looked so much like their father right now...something that she hadn't allowed herself to notice over the years...but, now, open and vulnerable, she couldn't help the clench of her heart as she thought of him and what he would make of all of this.

"I hope so," she all but whispered, knowing that their father would want her to try.

Bill released the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding; her compassion had always been what had set the two of them apart...but he wanted to change...it was time he did.

"I hope so too," he told her sadly when he saw her eyes pooling with unshed tears. "Maybe I could call?"

"Yes," she nodded. "In a week or two."

Bill swallowed the ball of emotion that had refused to budge and offered her a small smile. She was giving him a lifeline, and he knew it was more than he deserved after everything he had done...but before he could reply she moved again, walking towards the desk and the boxes their mother had left him.

"I'll help you take these to your car," she told him as she picked one of the larger boxes up and handed it to him. "I'll bring the other two."

Bill looked down at the box in his arms and knew that he was effectively being dismissed. He couldn't help the disappointment that flooded through him, but he also knew that he had to do what she asked if he wanted to keep her in his life.

"Okay," he nodded, trying to keep the sadness from his voice. "I'll get the door."

000

Later that evening, Lucy stood in the hallway and held out her arms to hold her niece in a warm embrace. She held her tight, both of them crying softly before she released her hold and stepped back to grasp onto Dana's hands.

"I am so proud of you sweetheart," Lucy told her with a watery smile. "And you mother will be too."

"Are you sure you don't want to come home with us?" Scully asked as she squeezed her aunt's hands a little tighter. "Just for a few days?"

Lucy smiled warmly at the young woman standing before her and shook her head.

"I have a bridge weekend planned with the girls," she told her with a wide grin. "Mary is bringing her chocolate brownies."

Despite her sadness, Scully couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of four elderly ladies enjoying a weekend of nothing but, gossip, cards and snacks.

"Well," she laughed. "I can't compete with that!"

"But I'll come and visit you and Fox in a few weeks, okay?"

Before Scully could reply, the front door swung open to reveal a breathless Mulder, who was pulling his unbuttoned overcoat a little closer together.

"Your bags are in the taxi, Lucy," he beamed as he accepted a strong hug from the older woman who had wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank you, dear," she told him brightly as she stepped back and lifted her hand to his face to frame his cheek. "You take care of yourself and my niece...and I'll see you both soon."

"Okay," Mulder smiled when he took her hand from his cheek to place a kiss onto her knuckles. "And I will."

Lucy stepped back when Mulder released her hand and offered the two of them a watery smile before she moved towards the door.

"Goodbye my loves," she beamed as she stepped out into the cold night air. "See you soon."

Scully joined Mulder on the step, her arm instantly winding around his waist. They both watched as the woman they had both come to adore climbed into the waiting taxi. She gave one final parting wave before she slammed the door closed behind her. They watched until the taxi was out of sight...its lights fading into the night before Mulder maneuvered Scully back inside the house, closing the door behind them.

They stood, wrapped around each other for a long moment, neither wanting to pull away. Mulder pressed his lips into her hair, kissing the soft strands until she slowly started to pull away so that she could look up into his eyes.

"Thank you for being here," Scully whispered softly as she lost herself in his gaze. "I couldn't have done this without you."

"Always," he told her with a smile. "I wouldn't be anywhere else."

Scully's eyes dropped to focus on his lips...she utterly adored this man. Inching closer she leaned forward, standing on her tiptoes so that she could capture his lips in a soft, brief kiss.

When their lips parted they stayed close together, even now unprepared to be without each other. Mulder lifted his hand to capture a stray strand of hair from her forehead and tucked it behind her ear.

"Are you ready to go home?" he asked with a bright smile as he kept his eyes locked with hers.

"Yes," she beamed. "I'm ready…"

"Okay," he smiled, his eyes leaving her to scan around the empty house around them. "Do you want to take anything with you?"

Scully stepped away from him and followed his gaze. Her eyes flittered around the hallway as she fought to keep the emptiness and sadness at bay. This house had been a hive of love once, and one day it would be a home again...but not for her...not anymore. Reaching for his hand, she wrapped her fingers around his and shook her head. Everything she wanted to take he'd already put in the car, including the precious photos of their son. All she needed now was to turn off the lights and lock the doors...but it all seemed so final.

Sensing her turmoil, Mulder squeezed her hand briefly before releasing their joined fingers and ushered her towards the door.

"Why don't you wait for me in the car," he told her softly. "I'll lock up here."

Scully nodded slightly and took one last look behind her before she stepped over the threshold and hurried towards their car. Mulder watched her until she had opened the door and got inside, only then reaching up towards the light switch. Glancing around the eerily quiet house he smiled before he clicked off the switch.

"Thank you for everything Mrs Scully," he spoke into the darkness, hoping that wherever she was right now that she could hear him. "I promise I will look after her…"

With his parting words he stepped out into the night, turning only once to lock the door behind him before he moved towards the car and his new life with the woman he loved…

End

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